42.3516° N, 107.4573° W, at 30,000 ft, colored pencil on paper, 22 x 30 inches, 2024

John Whitten is a multimedia artist exploring the resonance between digital technologies, physical materials, and lived experience. Through drawing, video, and photography, he constructs images that emphasize how perception is shaped by process, material, and time. His work often begins with fragments of the everyday: a grain of salt collected from a desert, the surface of a healing scar, or the shifting texture of a single element isolated from a landscape. These subjects, whether deeply personal or broadly environmental, serve as portals into questions of presence, care, and observation.

Whitten’s work has been exhibited in museums, universities, and galleries across the United States. Recent awards include Project Grants and a Professional Development Grant from the Regional Arts and Culture Council, a Career Opportunity Grant from the Oregon Arts Commission, a Faculty Research Grant from Oregon State University, and residencies with Caldera and Signal Fire. John is a co-founding co-director of Well Well Projects. In 2018, he co-founded Carnation Contemporary, another artist-run collective gallery, as well as Thunderstruck, a nomadic artist residency and exhibition project.

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Kelda Van Patten